Lexical Summary sumphuó: To grow together, to unite, to knit together Original Word: συμφύω Strong's Exhaustive Concordance spring up with. From sun and phuo; passive, to grow jointly -- spring up with. see GREEK sun see GREEK phuo NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom sun and phuó Definition to grow together (pass.) NASB Translation grew (1). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 4855: συμφύωσυμφύω (T WH συνφύω cf. σύν, II. at the end): 2 aorist passive participle nominative plural feminine συμφυεῖσθαι; 1. transitive, to cause to grow together (Plato, Aristotle). 2. passive intransitive, to grow together, grow with: Luke 8:7.*) Topical Lexicon Biblical scene and single occurrence Luke 8:7 records the only appearance of the verb behind Strong’s 4855. In the Parable of the Sower, “other seed fell among the thorns, and the thorns grew up with it and choked the seedlings” (Luke 8:7). Here the seed and the thorns share the same soil and moisture, rising side by side until the stronger growth of the thorns overruns the tender grain. Agricultural background First-century Galilean farmers plowed shallow topsoil resting on hard limestone. Seeds that were not cast on already cleared ground germinated among pre-existing thorn roots. Those thorns—chiefly varieties of Zizyphus and Rhamnus—sprang back rapidly after rains, often overtopping young cereal plants within weeks. Jesus’ hearers knew that once thorn roots had “grown together” with grain roots, separation became nearly impossible without uprooting the crop as well. Theological emphasis of mixed growth 1. Competition for life. The shared rooting highlights the unseen contest beneath the surface. What looks like peaceful coexistence soon proves fatal to the weaker life. Old Testament echoes Genesis 3:18 introduces thorns as a consequence of the fall, linking them with toil and frustration. Proverbs 24:30-31 pictures “thorns that had grown over” a lazy man’s vineyard. Isaiah 5:6 uses thorns to represent covenant unfaithfulness. In each case thorns coexist with something intended for fruitfulness, prefiguring the Savior’s teaching in Luke. Christ and the crown of thorns The One who taught about choking thorns later wore their curse upon His brow (Matthew 27:29). He bore the emblem of fruitlessness so that those who receive the word in good soil might “bear fruit with perseverance” (Luke 8:15). Pastoral implications • Heart cultivation. Regular confession and repentance serve as spiritual hoeing, loosening the soil around gospel seed before competing affections harden. Missionary and church-planting insight Pioneers in materialistic cultures often witness rapid numerical response followed by stagnation. Luke 8:7 encourages patient instruction on simplicity and eternal priorities. Local leaders should be trained to recognize subtle entanglements—status symbols, entertainment obsessions, social pressures—that suffocate young faith. Eschatological dimension “Let both grow together until the harvest” (Matthew 13:30) complements Luke 8:7. Although different parables, both stress that mixed growth persists until God’s appointed separation. Believers labor now to keep personal soil clear, while trusting the Lord of the harvest to execute final judgment. Devotional reflection Pray through Psalm 139:23-24, inviting the Searcher of hearts to expose intertwined thorns. Meditate on Philippians 4:6-7 to counter anxiety, 1 Timothy 6:17-19 to guard against riches, and Hebrews 11:24-26 against fleeting pleasures. Thus we cultivate a soil where the implanted word “is able to save your souls” (James 1:21). Forms and Transliterations συμφυείσαι συμφυεῖσαι συνφυεισαι συνφυεῖσαι sumphueisai symphyeisai symphyeîsaiLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts |
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